Accounting Day

There’s a day for everything and everybody.  HolidayInsights.com maintains a nearly exhaustive list:   Coming up are:

• Oct. 5 World Teacher’s Day
• Oct. 6 Come and Take It Day
• Oct. 6 Mad Hatter Day
• Oct. 6 Physician Assistant Day
• Oct. 7 Bald and Free Day
• Oct. 8 World Smile Day
• Oct. 8 American Touch Tag Day
• Oct. 8 Emergency Nurses Day
• Oct. 9 Moldy Cheese Day

Moldy Cheese Day?  Bald Day?  GMAB (give me a break)!

I see days related to vocation and profession.  When is Accountant’s Day?  It is not listed at HolidayInsights.com.  Rajesh over at All About Accounting would like to know.  I’ll tell you in a couple of paragraphs.

When is Accounting Day?

First is the issue of whether accountants should even have a day.  We all know holidays.  Here, we’re talking about a day set aside to honor or celebrate a person, event or thing.  A country can have national days.  National days in the U.S. have been resolved by the U.S. Congress.  Of lesser prestige are national days proclaimed by the president.

Other than that, anyone unofficially can create a day. Companies declare a day to draw attention to and sell products.  Associations declare a day to honor and focus attention on.  Even individuals do it, if their pet project doesn’t otherwise get enough attention.  There is no reason for me not to designate a day, and I’m going to designate one as Accounting Day by the end of this article.

So, what about an accounting day?  Here are what others are doing with the notion of having a day for accounting or accountants:

• We could tie Accountant’s Day to the fiscal new year.  The Onion has absolutely the funniest story on this I’ve ever read.  In Accountants Pack Times Square For Fiscal New Year, satirical writers suggest the Fiscal New Year hits at midnight between April 15 and April 16.  They describe how the fiscal new year bonds together all accountants in a spirit of professional brotherhood.  April 15, is National Tax Day.
• At Accountant Jokes and Fun, Mark Lee in the U.K. reports, “Accountancy software firm Kashflow has called for October 25 to be named “National Hug Your Accountant Day”.  As a U.K. National Day, it would not be enforcable in the U.S.  But I hope that won’t stop any pretty females from honoring the day should they pass closely by me.  Too bad they didn’t ask for a Hug and Kiss Your Accountant Day.
• Reid Scott, at The Daily Whim, has for five years been marking September 20 as The Day for Accounting.  I think he tips his elbow on that day.
• A few greeting card sites like 123greetings.com attempt to make a buck by designating July 28 as Accountant’s Day, reports Rajesh.  No reason exists for linking July 28 to accounting.
• The San Diego Chapter of the California Society of CPA’s has been marking a day since 1972, and calling it Accounting Day.  Held sometime in mid-May, it is observed only in San Diego.  “The purpose of Accounting Day is to promote the accounting profession, to provide an opportunity for networking among accountants in public practice, in industry, and in government, and to provide quality continuing education for attendees.”

There seems to be enough interest in having an Accounting Day.  After all, it was said in Accountants Pack Time Square, “It doesn’t matter if you work in budget analysis, auditing, or management accounting.  It doesn’t matter if you work for the government, a privately held corporation, or a public accounting firm.  When we’re together here like this, we’re all just accountants, every one of us.”  Brings tears to my eyes every time.

So, which day will it be?  I don’t like April 15 as Accounting Day, because it is already National Tax Day in the U.S., and accounting and tax are completely different fields.  October 25, September 20, July 28, and May 12 simply have no basis for being linked to accounting.

There is one date, however, that is perfect.  It has been linked to accounting for over 500 years.  It’s a natural, a slam dunk.

On November 10, 1494, volume 2 of Summa de Arithmetica, Geometria, Proportioni et Proportionalita (Everything About Arithmetic, Geometry and Proportion) was published.  It is in volume 2 of the Summa that Pacioli included a description of the bookkeeping/accounting system of Venice.   In honor of this contribution, Pacioli has carried for centuries the title of Father of Accounting.

The description of bookkeeping/accounting was a monumental moment in the history of mankind.  The Summa had a very large press run (larger than The Summa blog), and was considered a best seller for its time.  Moreover, its impact on business is indisputable.  We still use the system of Venice today.

I hereby proclaim November 10 as Accounting Day, to be observed throughout the world.  I shall send copies of this proclamatory blog to accounting officials, where ever they may be in the world.  You should start now in making plans for celebrating the Accounting Day in 2008.  It is only five weeks away.

Over and out – – David Albrecht